Stephen Colbert is banning Kanye West from his show amid the rapper’s anti-Semitism scandal.
“I have a big announcement to make,” the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” host began his Thursday monologue.
“After much thought and soul-searching, I, Stephen Colbert, am banning Kanye West from the Ed Sullivan Theater,” the late-night host said. “I have to. Line in the sand.”
Colbert, 58, joked that since his “jurisdiction extends into the northern half of Times Square,” he also wants to ban the Grammy winner, 45, “from coming north of Bubba Gump Shrimp.”
The comedian warned, “Stay out of Times Square” before accusing West of “creeping out the Elmos” who lurk around the tourist hotspot.
After going on to cancel fake collaborations with the Yeezy creator, from Strawbeezy Jelleezy jam to a “Ye and Phen Sing ‘Fiddler on the Roof’” album, Colbert called his decision “a long time coming.”
He joked, “I have no excuses for why I didn’t do this before except perhaps that he has never been on the show, we had no plans for him to be on the show, we have never asked him to be on the show and I am not sure he is aware that I have a show.
“I had to do it now because I was afraid he would just show up at any moment,” the political commentator concluded, referencing “desperate” West arriving unannounced at Skechers’ headquarters on Wednesday.
The artist’s surprise visit came as Adidas, Balenciaga and more brands have cut ties with him due to his anti-Semitic comments.
Colbert reacted to the Adidas news on Tuesday, saying, “Yay! … If you want something as fashionable as Yeezys, you’ll have to microwave a Croc.”
